Romeo and Juliet
by Monigue
Summary: Unknowingly, Megumi and Sanosuke are cast as the leads of the same play, which just happens to be Romeo and Juliet. Romantic comedy. Warning: squirrels and evil plotting ahead. FINISHED!
1. Chapter 2: What are you doing?

.Disclaimer: I don't own ANYTHING!!! Uh. except maybe a hat that I knitted that came out about two inches two small (stomps on hat.) And a whole lot of chi (Sp?) tea. I'm not an addict. Of course I'm not. (Mine!)  
  
AN: Thanksgiving! I'm currently trying to escape my parents and grandma, all of whom are preparing stuff. Scary.  
  
I had sushi last night. YUM!  
  
Sorry, that was kind of random.  
  
Uh, if you want to be on tech (basically the people who work the lights and the curtains and all that crap.) just say so in your review. I'm not going to be excepting everyone, just the people that review a lot. (You peoples definatley know who you are.)  
  
This chapter is going to be pretty much all a drama game.  
  
Oh, and all you people, watch out for rampant turkeys.  
  
Those things will peck your eyes out.  
  
What Are You Doing?  
  
Sanosuke sauntered into the room.  
  
All of the other occupants just stared.  
  
One of them piped up. "I think that you might be a the wrong place. Football practice is down on the field." This raised a few snickers.  
  
Sanosuke scowled and sat down in on of the assembly seats.  
  
A few moments later, Mr. Malprin entered.  
  
"Okay! Guys! To get ourselves warmed up, we're going to play a few improvisation games." Mr. Malprin proceeded to put the shrinking group of actors into pairs. He was almost finished, and only two people remained.  
  
Sanosuke found himself staring into the somewhat angry face of Megumi.  
  
He felt a familiar rage and hate rise up in his mind again.  
  
"Do I really have to be with him/her?" The both shouted at the same time.  
  
Mr. Malprin nodded. "Since you're the two leads of the play, it's best that you practice as much together as is possible."  
  
The rest of the room fell silent, only to stare at the pair of teens.  
  
Sanosuke eye started to twitch.  
  
Megumi turned bright red.  
  
"WHAT?!?" They both screamed.  
  
The rest of the cast and the tech crew that was perched in the senior section started to laugh.  
  
Very softly at first, then louder.  
  
In particular, one girl with long brown hair with gold highlights and blue-grey eyes was rolling on the ground.  
  
Her name was Monigue.  
  
The rest of the tech crew turned around and stared at her.  
  
Two of them had very knowing looks on their faces.  
  
She stopped then looked around. She shrugged.  
  
The rest of them turned around to watch the show that was going down on the stage.  
  
A red faced Megumi and Sanosuke were both trying to quit the play at the same time.  
  
Mr. Malprin just stared at them.  
  
He raised a hand.  
  
They both looked at him.  
  
"You are ACTORS!"  
  
"But-"  
  
"You do NOT let personal relationships affect your performances!"  
  
"But-"  
  
"You may quit this play. But I STRONGLY advise against it. And you will not be allowed to perform in any of the other performances that this school performs."  
  
The two disgruntled teens sat, considering this.  
  
Mr. Malprin really hoped that they didn't see through his bluff. If they quit, he was royally and totally screwed.  
  
Neither of the two leads said anything.  
  
"Now that that issue is resolved, lets get on with practice. We're going to play 'what are you doing'."  
  
Mr. Malprin explained the game. ( For those of you that have not played 'What are you doing?' it goes something like this: two people start out. One person asks the other what they are doing. The other person then replies whatever first springs to their minds. For example: Sky diving. The first person then has to act out doing whatever it is. Then the other person asks the skydiving person what they are doing, and so on, and so forth. If you get creative, it's really fun. And we're going to get really creative. Heheh.)  
  
Sanosuke stared angrily at Megumi, as if blaming her for all of his problems.  
  
'Damn prep.' He thought.  
  
'Damn thug.' She thought.  
  
(AN. Well, isn't this going to be an interesting relationship? No worries, opinions change.)  
  
The pairs around them started to play.  
  
Mr. Malprin gave them a glare that meant play or face the consequences, and with a sigh Sanosuke started.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"Banging my head against the wall."  
  
Megumi watched with a satisfied little smile as Sanosuke smashed his head against the wall of the auditorium.  
  
This is how their game went.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"Falling down a flight of stairs."  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"Trying to wrestle with a cactus."  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"Stabbing myself to death."  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"Putting my foot behind my head."  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"Making out with myself."  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"Trying to put out the fire enveloping my hair."  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"Tangoing with a monkey."  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"Eating a printer."  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"Seducing a chihuahua."  
  
"What are you doing?" Asked Sanosuke.  
  
"Kissing Megumi."  
  
Sanosuke stared at a bewildered looking Megumi.  
  
If he had looked up a moment earlier, he would have noticed that her mouth hadn't moved.  
  
And that there was a somewhat deranged looking girl from tech that darted away quickly after doing an eerily accurate Megumi impression.  
  
Her name was Monigue.  
  
Sanosuke started turning red as Megumi tried to find an explination as to why she just asked him to kiss her.  
  
Without talking of course.  
  
"Come on guys! We're going to do a read through of the script." Mr. Malprin called.  
  
Monigue croutched in the shadows, a demonic grin on her face.  
  
This was going to be an entertaining play. 


	2. Chapter 1: Casting Calls

Disclaimer: I don't own the play, the show, or the characters. I do, however, own myself.  
  
AN: Naughty naughty Monigue, starting another story!  
  
Well, the idea just came and.  
  
You know those stories that you just have to write? Well, this is one of them.  
  
And, uh, I'm going to have to be creative with names. So excuse me. Hehe.  
  
Also, I'm writing from what I know. So a ton of this is a knock off from my school. So theres gonna be a lot that only Ria and Myrmyr will get.  
  
Romeo and Juliet  
  
Chapter One: Casting Calls  
  
Mr. Malprin raised his head, then released.  
  
It slammed into the desk.  
  
He repeated the process.  
  
Lift, drop, repeat.  
  
This-bang-wasn't-bang-working.  
  
He had known that he had had a problem when he decided that the school play for the fall season was going to be Romeo and Juliet.  
  
He didn't know that it was going to be this BIG of a problem.  
  
Damn.  
  
He was looking for the ruffian type t o cast as the male lead, a bad boy that was a rebel enough to go against his family wishes.  
  
What he got was a bunch of stuck up actor types, none of them even close to what he was looking for.  
  
As he lifted his head again, a miracle happened.  
  
Sanosuke Sagura walked by.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
As Sanosuke watched Mr. Malprin come barreling for him, he was expecting just another teacher outraged at him breaking dress code.  
  
He didn't expect Mr. Malprin to drop to his knees and start kissing his feet.  
  
"YOU HAVE TO PLAY MY LEAD!" Mr. Malprin exclaimed.  
  
"What? Slow down." Sanosuke stated, trying to shake the clinging drama teacher off of his ankles.  
  
"PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE! I'll do anything!"  
  
This got Sanosuke interested.  
  
"Can you get me out of all my detentions?"  
  
"SURE! Just as long as you agree to play my lead?"  
  
"Yeah, I'll do it. Sure."  
  
"Okay. So we'll just have to switch you out of. what do you play?"  
  
"Football. Look, am I going to have to give football up? Cause." Sanosuke thought about it. With all of his detention slips, he hardly got to play at all anyways. Maybe this wasn't that bad of a deal after all.  
  
" Into drama. Okay. Should be easy enough. THANK YOU!"  
  
"What lead would I be playing anyways?" Sanosuke inquired.  
  
"Romeo."  
  
'I know I'm a sexy bastard, but I didn't really expect drama teachers dropping to their knees and begging me to play Romeo.' Sanosuke thought. Something hit him.  
  
"Who's Juliet?"  
  
"I haven't decided yet. But look, just show up for auditions after school. I'll tell you afterwards."  
  
"OH SHIT I'M LATE FOR CLASS!" Sanosuke shouted and dashed off.  
  
Little did he know what he had gotten himself into.  
  
AN: Okay, so my drama teachers not like that. But it should be funny to see somebody we know cast as Juliet. (Cough Megumi Cough.) Oh, sorry, did I give it away?  
  
They're just way to much fun to write.  
  
REVIEW! 


	3. Trust Games

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. Heck, I don't own much of anything. Sigh. I do, however, own myself.  
  
Hopefully.  
  
AN: Break is almost over. Waahhh.  
  
More drama games, because I haven't read the play yet. I was to busy with the real school play!  
  
I go t the part that I wanted. Yay!  
  
Don't hurt me Ria.  
  
This is an exercise that we did the first day of drama in my class.  
  
Trust Games  
  
Mr. Malprin stalked in front of the line of tech and actors.  
  
"We are going to be playing a trust game to bring us more together as a community. Will the boys and girls please split up?" He waited as the boys and the girls split up.  
  
"Boys, please tie your ties around your eyes." The boys all did that.  
  
One by one and without words he placed the girls hands on the boys shoulders.  
  
"The person you are with you will lead to Mason field. You have fifteen minutes."  
  
Megumi shifted uncomfortably behind Sanosuke.  
  
After yesterday and the mysterious talking without actually saying anything incident, Megumi had avoided Sanosuke.  
  
And now she had two hands on his shoulders.  
  
She hated the guy.  
  
She really did.  
  
The funny thing was, there was a kiss at the end of the play that they were doing.  
  
And it didn't really sound all that bad.  
  
What the hell was she thinking? Of course it sounded that bad! Who would ever want to kiss a bastard like him?  
  
'Well, evidentally you.' The little voice in the back of her head whined.  
  
'No I don't!'  
  
'You're blushing.'  
  
Megumi was nonplussed. (AN: Isn't that a great word? It means unable to go on. Just a little new vocab. I'll shut up now.)  
  
"Who is that?" Sanosuke asked.  
  
"Just guess." Megumi sighed.  
  
"Not again. This guy really is a sick, isn't he?" Sanosuke replied.  
  
"I'm really starting to think that he is." Megumi replied. "Do you want me to lead you by touch or by voice?"  
  
"Voice please." Sanosuke muttered.  
  
'Damn.' Megumi thought.  
  
'You really did want to hold hands with him, didn't you?' The little voice teased.  
  
'No.'  
  
'Riiiight. Of course.'  
  
'You really need to shut up, do you know that?'  
  
'I never do though. Why does everyone ask?'  
  
Megumi started to talk, very loudly and about nothing in particular, leading Sanosuke with her voice. She instinctively stepped down the steps, remembering Sanosuke only when it was too late.  
  
"Sanosuke! Careful, there's a-" Before she could finish her sentence, Sanosuke stepped forward into nothing and toppled forward.  
  
Towards and exasperated Megumi.  
  
"-step." Megumi sighed.  
  
Before Megumi could move out of the way, Sanosuke had fallen on top of her.  
  
"Holy crap!" Megumi hollered. Her whole body was aching from the extra weight that had suddenly been bestowed upon her. Luckily the ground beneath the steps had been grass. (AN: I don't actually know of a place like that at my school, but humor me.)  
  
Both of the teens suddenly realized their positions and scrambled away from each other quickly, blushing hard.  
  
"Why the hell didn't you tell me that there was a step there?" Sanosuke bellowed.  
  
"I wouldn't have forgotten if you had just let me guide you by touch instead of voice!" Megumi replied. She could feel anger boiling up in her.  
  
"Well excuse me for not wanting to hold hands with the girl that asked me to kiss her in a game of 'What are you doing!'" Sanosuke shot back.  
  
"That wasn't me!"  
  
"How could it not be you? It sounded just like you!"  
  
"I wasn't moving my lips!"  
  
"Well excuse me. I was too busy eating a printer to see anything." Sansosuke scowled.  
  
"Look. One of the techies must have thought that it would be amusing to see us kiss. Don't ask me why the whole world ones to see us get together." 'Including the little voice in my head.' Megumi mentally added.  
  
"Good. I don't plan on kissing you any time soon, by the way." Sanosuke added, blushing slightly.  
  
"You're going to have to, stupid. It's in the stinking play." Megumi replied. She too was blushing slightly. With relief she realized that he couldn't actually see her.  
  
"Right." Sanosuke said.  
  
"We still have to get down to the mac." Megumi stated. Both of them got up and there was an awkward silence.  
  
"I'm gonna ask you again. Do you want me to guide you by touch or by voice?" Megumi asked.  
  
"Touch." Sanosuke sighed.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The rest of the trip was fairly uneventful, but when they finally got down to the Mac the whole cast was waiting for them.  
  
"Took an aweful long time for you to get here." A boy named Yahiko stated. "What were you doing that made it take so long?"  
  
Both teens glared at him, but their cheeks did turn pink.  
  
A squirrel watching in a nearby tree twitched its tale.  
  
Monigue would be very interested in this.  
  
AN: Well, I finally updated! Yay. review please! 


	4. Let's play pretend!

Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHINGGGGG!!! Except, of course, myself.. And Mr. Malprin's demented ideas.  
  
AN: Excuse me for bastardizing Sayo in this story. I don't know anything about her character. So I'm making it up as I go along.  
  
And trust me. it won't be pretty. I don't have a particularly strong liking for Sayo, and from what I've heard no one else really does either.  
  
This fic is about to become a lot more entertaining. Excuse me if the idea is cliché, but I just had to go for it. It was just waaay to perfect.  
  
Let's Play Pretend!  
  
Sanosuke turned a corner and flattened himself against the wall, panting.  
  
Almost there. Almost to Lawrence. Almost to safety.  
  
Gods, why had she chosen him of all people? She was a catholic and he was an atheist. He had heard that opposites attract, but.  
  
She was just a little too opposite for his tastes. She just plain creeped him out. He had been her boyfriend at one point, but had broken up with her shortly after the relationship had started. She didn't really seem to get it, though.  
  
"Sanosuke!" A much too sweet voice called. Sanosuke froze, the hairs on the back of his neck standing straight up.  
  
Shit.  
  
Sayo rounded the corner. He bolted like a frightened rabbit, but she caught his sleeve and pinned him to the wall.  
  
"Oh Sanosuke, I missed you so much during the day." she crooned, planting feather kisses all along his neck. He shuddered and tried to pushed her away, but she clung to the front of his jacket.  
  
"Look, will you get off me already?" He pressed. She pouted but didn't release his jacket.  
  
"Why? Don't I have an excuse to say hi to my boyfriend after school?" She asked.  
  
"For the last time, I'm not your boyfriend!" He shouted.  
  
"Oh, don't be silly Sanosuke. Of course you are. You're so shy sometimes!" She giggled. Sanosuke rolled his eyes. Sayo batted her eyelashes at him in a failing attempt to be seductive.  
  
"Give me some sugar, big guy." She sighed, kissing his neck. He was trapped against the wall and her leaning form.  
  
Then he spotted salvation.  
  
Megumi stopped when she saw them, and her chest was rising and falling like she was laughing under her breath.  
  
"HELP ME!" Sanosuke mouthed.  
  
Megumi shook her head, laughing.  
  
"Please?" He mouthed, giving her his best puppy eyes. She sighed and walked over to the pair.  
  
"Come on Sanosuke, we have to go to practice." Megumi stated, grabbing his hand and yanking him out from under Sayo. Sayo shot her an indignant look.  
  
Megumi dragged him a little further and then realized that she had been holding his hand. They both blushed and stepped away from each other.  
  
"Thanks." Sanosuke grumbled. "I owe you one."  
  
Megumi shrugged.  
  
"Will you two meet me in my office for a minute?" Mr. Malprin inquired, sticking his head out the door and addressing the two teens. They both jumped.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The information that the techie had given him had been accurate.  
  
He would have to thank her. What was her name again? Started with an N-No, maybe it was an M. Monigue? No, that wasn't it.  
  
No matter. He would figure it out later. All that mattered was that her suggestion would work out quite nicely.  
  
The two teens sat down in front of his desk, looking somewhat awkward in the office chairs.  
  
"I have a homework assignment for you two." Mr. Malprin stated. Sanosuke's eyebrows shot up.  
  
"Thought we weren't supposed to get any homework. We get enough in regular school." He muttered. Megumi nodded in agreement.  
  
"This isn't exactly a normal assignment." Mr. Malprin stated. He pondered how he was going to put this. "You see, I want you two to pretend that you're boyfriend and girlfriend for two weeks. Seeing as the play is at the end of those two, it will help you get ready for the romance scenes.  
  
Both of the teens stared at him, taking in what he had just said.  
  
"NO FREAKING WAY!" They both shouted at the same time.  
  
"There's no way that I'm going to pretend that I'm going out with her!" Sanosuke shouted, his face red.  
  
"Well, you're not exactly my type either." Megumi grumbled.  
  
"It's not going to happen, Mr. Malprin." Sanosuke stated.  
  
Mr. Malprin sighed. "I really didn't want to do this to you, but." He pulled a file out of his desk. Both actors stared at it in confusion.  
  
"There is a slide scheduled to run first thing next Monday. If you agree to do this, the slide will be canceled. If you don't, this will run." He handed the file to the teens.  
  
They went through the contents with awe and horror.  
  
Before them lay the most embarrassing compilation of baby pictures known to man.  
  
"Holy." Sanouske trailed off. "How did you get these?"  
  
"I have my sources." Mr. Malprin stated. Megumi and Sanosuke stared at him in terror.  
  
"Don't tell me our parents are in on this!" Megumi exclaimed.  
  
"I'm not at liberty to disclose that information." Mr. Malprin replied.  
  
Sanosuke just stared at his two year old self in the bath. Megumi glanced over at him, then looked away blushing.  
  
"So what do you say?" Mr. Malprin asked. "What would be worse for your reputation? Going out with each other, or having theses shown to the school?"  
  
The two teens started at each other, pondering though they both knew the answer was obvious.  
  
"But I have a boyfriend!" Megumi exclaimed.  
  
"No you don't." Replied Mr. Malprin, calling her bluff. She swore under her breath.  
  
"Say, isn't this black mail?" Sanosuke inquired.  
  
"And if it is?" Mr. Malprin relpied. Sanosuke fell silent.  
  
"So will you do it?"  
  
The two teens looked at each other, blushed, then looked away. Both of them nodded.  
  
"Good-" Mr. Malprin started.  
  
"Why do you want us to do this, anyways?" Sanosuke questioned.  
  
"Because frankly, you're romance scenes suck. You both blush to much to get anything done. It's not believable." Mr. Malprin answered. "And if you break the act at any time, the slide will get into assembly." He strutted out of the office, leaving two utterly embarrassed and confused teens in his wake.  
  
"So." Sanosuke started. "I suppose this means that we're going to have to hold hands for the rest of the day, huh?" He laughed nervously. Megumi just stared at him miserably.  
  
Suddenly both of them realized what they had just gotten themselves into.  
  
AN: This will be very funny in the next chapter. Trust me. (Laughs evily.)  
  
Sanosuke+Megumi: (Swallow.)  
  
Buhahahaha. just wait. I'll update soon. Review please! 


	5. Horrifying Realizations

AN: (Rises out of deep hole.)  
  
Monigue: Huh? Where am I?  
  
Booming voice: The authors graveyard.  
  
Monigue: What? Where is that?  
  
B.V. Where the authors that haven't updated for a month or more go.  
  
Monigue: Who are you anyways?  
  
B.V. Uh... god.  
  
Monigue: (Suspicious.) Are you having fun with the intercom again Turnip?  
  
Turnip: Uh... of course not. This is God! Don't you believe me?  
  
Monigue: (To readers.) Sorry, have to beat some sense into the monkey child.  
  
Turnip: Eep! (Runs.)  
  
Horrifying Realizations  
  
Sanosuke and Megumi were the talk of assembly the next day.  
  
"I've caught my name seventeen time's already. You?" Sanosuke whispered over to Megumi. He held her hand hesitantly, walking to their seats (which happened to be two away from each other.)  
  
"Twenty." Megumi said miserably. Sanosuke smirked. He turned his head a little bit to the left.  
  
"Make that eighteen." He added.  
  
The girl that was inbetween Sano and Megumi giggled and moved to Sanosuke's seat. They sat down next to each other.  
  
"Twenty-one." Megumi smiled.  
  
The assembly started.  
  
Joe walked up on stage to make an announcement. (Joe= school pres.)  
  
"Everyone remember that there is a senior dance this Friday! It's semi formal." He looked down at his notes.  
  
"Mr. Malprin?"  
  
Mr. Malprin stood up. "I'd just like to say that as I'm chaperoning the dance this Friday, I'd like to see everyone there." He shot a glance toward Megumi and Sanosuke. "Everyone."  
  
Joe shot him a funny look.  
  
"Um... thanks. I think."  
  
Sanosuke and Megumi just looked at each other in horror.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
The pair walked to lunch together hand in hand.  
  
"Fifty seven." Megumi whispered.  
  
"That's nothing." Sanosuke gloated. "I've got seventy one."  
  
"So what are we going to do about the dance?"  
  
They both fell silent.  
  
"Did you ask anyone?" Megumi asked. Sanosuke shook his head.  
  
"Well no one asked me. So we'll go together."  
  
Sanosuke just stared.  
  
"What?!" He demanded.  
  
"It was pretty obvious what Malprin wanted in assembly. Do YOU want the slide shown in assembly?" Megumi asked.  
  
"Well, no, but..." a slight blush started to make its way across his cheeks.  
  
"We'll just have to deal with it. But boy, will I be glad when this play is over." Megumi sighed.  
  
"Yeah. What kind of sick fiend is he anyways?" Sanosuke demanded.  
  
"The drama teacher variety."  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"YOU'RE GOING WITH WHO!?" Kaoru demanded, a look of shock on her face.  
  
"Sanosuke. Look, it's not big deal."  
  
"You're sworn enemies!"  
  
"Well, yeah, but-"  
  
"I guess opposites do attract!" Kaoru exclaimed. Megumi and Kaoru had this free together, and were lounging in the alcoves. (AN: A hang out place for high schoolers.) "I always thought that there was some chemistry between you two..."  
  
"There's not! Look, out drama teacher is blackmailing us into it. I told you before!" Megumi spat.  
  
"Then why are you blushing?" Kaoru inquired.  
  
"I-well-he-you know-I mean-" Megumi stuttered. She was cut off by Sanosuke running around the corner and grabbing her arm.  
  
"Come on fox. I've got to talk to you for a second." He looked around frantically.  
  
"He even has a pet name for you!" Kaoru squealed.  
  
"It's not a pet name!" They both snapped at her at the same time. Kaoru looked offended.  
  
"Sanosuke!" A high female voice shrieked around the corner.  
  
"Shit." Sanosuke hissed. Sayo rounded the corner, face pink from running.  
  
"Hey silly! What are you doing with her, anyways?" She glared at Megumi. "I wanted my boyfriend to come have lunch with me." She purred, latching onto Sanosuke's arm.  
  
"Look, for the last time, I'm not your boyfriend." He growled, attempting to shake her off his arm and failing.  
  
"Of course I'm your girlfriend! If I'm not, who is?" She demanded.  
  
"Sh-she is." He pointed to Megumi. "Megumi is." He repeated to the shocked Sayo.  
  
"NO!" She shrieked. "It's not true! You're just joking."  
  
"No, I'm not."  
  
"You're so funny, Sanosuke! Always such a joker."  
  
'Damn it.' Sanosuke thought. 'I'm going to have to prove this to her. I didn't want to do this, but...'  
  
He grabbed Megumi by the waist and pulled her into a passionate kiss. He broke the kiss quickly, glancing over at the shocked Sayo.  
  
"No-no-no." Sayo repeated. "It's not real!" She shrieked.  
  
Sanosuke slowly nodded.  
  
Sayo slowely turned to Megumi. "You bitch!" She screamed, diving for Megumi's throat. Sanosuke caught her. She thrashed around in his arms for a few seconds, but in vain. She collapsed on the ground, weeping.  
  
Sanosuke looked around. Megumi had turned scarlet red and looked like she was debating whether to slap him or not. Sayo was curled up into fetal position on the floor. Kaoru had fainted.  
  
"Uh... I'm gonna get the guidance councler." He said, then ran.  
  
AN: So? Not as funny as I'd wanted, but wait. We got a first kiss though! (Streamers and confetti fall from sky.) I'll try to update soon. Review s'il te plait! 


	6. Under Stairs Conversations and Confusion

AN: Seeing as at the moment, we're actually reading Romeo and Juliet, I decided to update this fanfiction. Arg, projects. I'm going to try to update all my fics though, so stick around.  
  
Under Stairs Conversations and Confusion  
  
Sanosuke turned a sharp corner into the middle school. He had tried to make it to the guidance councilor, but Sayo and Megumi had followed him there. Man, those girls were fast. He remembered now that both of them had been on the track team before. Thinking back to middle school, he tries to remember the best hiding place. It hits him: under the stairs! Quickly he slips in the small space in between the stairs and the window.  
  
As he sat underneath the stairs, surrounded by beaten up looking chairs and an inch thick layer of dust on the floor, he wondered what the hell he had done to deserve this.  
  
"Sanosuke?" A voice called. He panicked and scotched back, having realized that there was no way out of the small storage space. Well, there was a door a little further back, but it was locked for most of the time. And anyways, the figure had slipped into the space with him.  
  
"Who is it?" He calls, hoping to god that it wasn't Megumi or Sayo. Both of them would probably maul him. And if they killed him, no one would find him for days. And everyone was at sports, so no one would hear him scream.  
  
"It's Kaoru." He sighs a little, than tensed up again. This was Meguim's best friend. She might take it into her hands to take revenge for her. He wondered if it would be a good time to run.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
"First of all, I want to know why the hell you're sitting under the stairs in the middle school."  
  
"I don't particularly love being mauled by furious girls. Do you?" He grumbled.  
  
"Okay, I get your point. And don't get me wrong, I have no intention to maul you. I just wanted to talk to you." Sanosuke's eyes widen. Talk? That was worse than being mauled. He starts to scotch towards the door behind him.  
  
"And if you think you're getting out of it, you're nuts. Megumi and Sayo are in the middle school right now. They followed you here. I remembered this hiding place, and figured this is where you would be. They probably won't find you here. But then again, if I screamed..."  
  
He clamped his hand over her mouth. "Fine." He hissed. I'll talk. What do you want to talk about?"  
"I wanted to talk about Megumi. I want to know what you feel about her." Sanosuke's eye twitched. She didn't really expect him to talk about his feelings for Megumi, did she? He didn't know how to explain what the hell he felt for her to himself, never mind putting it into words so that someone else could understand. It was... complicated.  
  
"I really don't know." He says, hoping that she'll let him escape with that.  
  
"Let's put it this way. Do you have feelings for her?"  
  
"Maybe." Kaoru sighed with exasperation. So he was going to take the vague road, huh?  
  
"Look, here's how this is going to go down. Give me a yes or a no, or I scream and you have one hysterical girl and one very confused one at your throat. Do you really want that?" Sanosuke swallowed, weighing his options.  
  
"Well, what do you think?" He said, trying to sound tough.  
  
"I think you do." There was a moment of silence.  
  
"What?"  
  
"That kiss wasn't staged. There was something there. And you two fight way to much for there not to be some sort of chemistry there. Am I right?"  
  
"I-I don't know." Sanosuke stuttered. Kaoru opened up her mouth to scream and for the second time Sanosuke clamped his hand over it. He had to do something fast, or she would scream and he would be as good as dead. "Fine! I do have feelings for her. Sometimes. It just she's so..." He shakes his head, running out of words. "Anyways, if there are, they certainly aren't returned."  
  
"Look, if I were you, I wouldn't be so sure." She starts to get up. "I'll tell them that I saw you head down to the MAC, (AN: Our gym.) okay? Try to get out of here pretty quickly, though. Maybe head into the woods." She slips out, but before leaving stuck her head back in.  
  
"Oh, and Sanosuke? I'm looking forward to this play." Then she was gone. There is a slight commotion outside and the sound of pattering feet heading out. He curled up into a ball.  
  
'So you've finally admitted that you have feelings for her.' A little voice inside of his head gloats.  
  
I was just lying to get her friend to go away, he thinks.  
  
'No, you weren't.'  
  
How do you know I wasn't?  
  
'Just assume that I know these things. I am, in fact, a part of your subconscious.'  
  
Whatever. I don't like her, okay.  
  
'Look, it's pointless to lie to yourself. Because something inside of you will always know the truth. You're going to have to admit it to yourself sooner or later.'  
  
Look, I was lying! Can't you just take that as an answer.  
  
'Fine then. If you were lying, like you said, why didn't you just tell her the "truth" that you don't like her?'  
  
Sanosuke pushed the thought out of his head, getting up and out of the room. He needed to think. He headed towards the woods as Kaoru suggested.  
  
Kaoru had adequately described Megumi as confused. Well, confused about whether to slap him, or just pretend nothing had happened, or, well...  
  
The thing was, her pride wouldn't allow a third option to exist. But something deep in her chest knew that her pride wouldn't win the battle in the long run. Something else was going on here, something that won over pride nine times out of ten.  
  
She sighed. What had there been in that kiss? Whatever it was, it was damn confusing.  
  
She had checked all the fields, but he was in none of them. Sayo was frantically checking everywhere, the look of a wild and dangerous beast in her eyes. (AN: Yes, she is OOC. But I just hate the idea of her! Is that such a crime?) Megumi had made sure to stay out of her way.  
  
She starts to hike up back to the middle school and gives up. Sitting by the side of the road, she sighed. The campus was just way to big. By the time she had searched all of it, he would already be gone.  
  
She's just wait for tomorrow. Tomorrow she would find him, make him explain what was going on. Make him explain why he had kissed her like that. Maybe even make him explain why the hell she was feeling like this.  
  
AN: So, I finally updated! And in one sitting, too.  
  
READERS: It's the least you could do, making us wait for nearly three months.  
  
Monigue: It's not my fault! I blame school.  
  
Readers: That's not going to cut it.  
  
Monigue: (Sweating.) I blame the government. That's it! It's all the government's fault. CONSPIRACY!!! (Runs away screaming.)  
  
Turnip: If you couldn't already tell, she's gone insane. It's the solar car. She's snapped. It doesn't move.  
  
Monigue: HAVE NOT! Our car moves now. Yay! (Hands out cookies to all readers that have "Horrah for Solar Car Moving" written on them in icing.) Well, if you can't tell, I'm in a pretty random mood. Review my story please! 


	7. Dance Time!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Not sanity, not normality... but whatever.  
  
Just for fun, I'm going to write out the play cast right here.  
  
Benevolio: Yahiko (he's older. Hey, they could be related, him and Sanosuke. I mean, they have the same hair...) Mercutio: Misao (yes, she's a girl. Lets pretend that's she's wearing a short wig. Okay?) Friar Lawerence: Kenshin Tybalt: Saito The Prince: Aoshi Paris: Kanryuu (Sp?!) Nurse: Kaoru (Hm. Funny because she's younger than Megumi. Never mind.) Hm... no more big parts, huh? Sorry Yahiko, you're kind of left out of this. Heh.  
  
Dance Time!  
  
The play rehearsal was weird, both of them would admit. The rest of the cast could feel the energy in the air, and so could Mr. Malprin. All of them knew by the end of the day that that something was going on between the two leads.  
  
A tip of was the fact that they went to huge lengths not to make eye contact with each other. Especially during the love scenes this was evident. Sanosuke looked right over her shoulder, and she focused her gaze on the top of his spiky hair. In the middle of the balcony scene Mr. Malprin got fed up with it all.  
  
"Stop it! Stop it! What the hell is going on here? You guys have chemistry, but not the right type. What's wrong with you?" He yelled from the back from the back of the auditorium.  
  
"What are you talking about? Nothing's wrong." Sanosuke said, putting on his straightest face. Not good enough, though. Misao, who had been watching from backstage, steped out onto the stage.  
  
"He's blushing!" She pointed out. This, in turn, made his face go from pink to red, and made Megumi blush too. Misao opened her mouth to point this out, but was cut off by an angry drama teacher.  
  
"That'll be enough now, Misao." He growled. She slunk backstage again. "Look, I don't know what's going on between you two. But I expect you to sort it out by the night of the play. It's less than a week away. Get it together by then, or..." he trailed off, but both of them knew what he was thinking. "Rehearsal is dismissed!" He stood and walked out of the auditorium. Megumi glanced at her watch and read that it was only five. Thirty minutes early. Mr. Malprin must have been really mad to let them out this early. For a week before the play, it was almost unheard of.  
  
Love springs on you in strange ways. If you don't see it coming, it comes slowly and gently, sweet waters rising in your heart until you are filled with the emotion. It's a different story, though, if you realize what is happening to you early.  
  
Then it's like if someone had crept behind you and slipped soft fingers around your neck. Just as you start to feel the fingers and realize what is happening it's too late and love throttles you hard. It even shakes you back and forth as it strangles you.  
  
This was what was happening to Sanosuke at that moment. The question of what he felt for Megumi had grown from a small question to a large and very scary answer: he was in fact in love with her. And love, like the bitch it was, decided that it wanted to shake him.  
  
Everyone in the cast noticed it. He seemed preoccupied, quieter than his usual rowdy self. The teachers held an emergency meeting on why he was not making trouble in class. Basically, everyone that was close to him was worried. Even Megumi, who was thinking of her own issues, noticed.  
  
"Sano." Kenshin said, cornering him after practice.  
  
"Yeah?" Sanosuke replied without any thought.  
  
"Dude, what's up with you?" Kenshin asked.  
  
"Nothing." Sanosuke says, waving him off with one hand.  
  
"That's a lie. What the heck is wrong with Sanosuke? You haven't been yourself all day. What's on your mind?"  
  
Sanosuke blushes slightly. "You've got it wrong. I'm fine."  
  
"Whatever." Kenshin left Sanosuke sitting on the stage, along with his thoughts. Kenshin grins to himself, knowing all to well by how his friend was acting what was on his mind.  
  
He was in love. The only question was, with who?  
  
On the road to the Gym  
  
Since Megumi lived far away from the school, she usually prepared in the locker room for dances. This time was not different. Kaoru too lived in a far away neighborhood, pretty close to where Megumi was. They had become such close friends from carpooling for three years. As Megumi and Kaoru walked down the gym together, Megumi could tell that something was on her mind.  
  
"Megumi, you know-" Kaoru paused. "Never mind." It was the fifth time that she had done that in one night. Megumi was just about ready to kill her.  
  
"What is it already, Kaoru?" Megumi snapped. Kaoru giggled.  
  
"Somebody likes you."  
  
"What?" Megumi stops dead in her tracks. What could Kaoru possibly know?  
  
"I know someone who has feelings for you." Kaoru smiles devilishly.  
  
"Who?" Megumi asks.  
  
Kaoru considers whether she should tell her friend or not. She was feeling pangs of guilt just from thinking about it. Megumi could figure it out on her own. "I can't tell." Megumi almost fell over.  
  
"You-can't-tell. Then why the hell did you tell me in the first place?"  
  
"I can't keep these things in forever, you know!" Kaoru said. Megumi sighed. Kaoru had a tendency of not thinking out things that she said.  
  
"Whatever." Megumi breaths, but the question nagged at a corner of her brain.  
  
AT THE DANCE  
  
As always, the music was way too loud.  
  
Sanosuke sulked in the corner like the bad ass that he was, trying to pretend that he wasn't watching Megumi out of the corner of his eye as she danced with her friends.  
  
He didn't really know why he came to the dance. Well, probably because Mr. Malprin was blackmailing him. But he had other reasons, and he knew it.  
  
A slow song comes on. Sanosuke sunk further into his sulk.  
  
Megumi, on the other hand, was amused as she headed towards Kenshin, intending to ask him to dance. She didn't really have much interest in him, it was more to annoy Kaoru. She figured after what happened this afternoon she was due a little bit of revenge. Plus it was just fun to watch how Kaoru reacted to her throwing herself all over the red headed boy.  
  
"Oh Ken, dance with me!" She throws her arms around Kenshin. Sure enough, Kaoru was twitching in the corner. Unbeknownst to anyone in the room, she was not the only one that was twitching.  
  
Sanosuke felt sick to his stomach and was starting to see red. Kenshin. She was dancing with Kenshin. He felt like he needed to puke. His best freaking friend. Why didn't he see it?  
  
He stormed out of the dance room, needing something to take his anger out on. Kenshin looking over Megumi's shoulder as she clung to him saw him leave. What had Sanosuke looking so mad? He was looking right at him, too.  
  
A switch flipped in Kenshin's mind. Could it possibly be that Sanosuke was in love with Megumi? It made a hell of a lot of sense. The way that they acted around each other was a clue. There was some wicked chemistry between the two.  
  
He pulls her hands away from his neck.  
  
"I think Sanosuke needs to talk to you. He's outside."  
  
Sanosuke, fuming, looked for the first non-human thing that he can find to beat senseless. It just happened to be a metal elevator. Filled with an illogical anger at everything in the world, he punched the elevator lightly. 'That was for how much of a flirt Megumi is.' He thinks. He punches the elevator again, harder. His knuckles start to throb slightly. 'That was for how strange love it.' He punched the elevator door again, harder than he knew he was able to. Pain exploded up his right arm and he slumped backward, nursing his right hand like a broken animal in his lap. His knuckles were bleeding and bruised. 'That was for how much of a damn idiot I am for falling for her.' With amusement he notices that he has made a large dent in the face of the elevator. (AN: Heh... Ria.)  
  
Megumi slipped out of the dance into the blissfully quiet hallway. What had Kenshin been talking about? In front of her in the hallway was a figure slumped over, laughing slightly.  
  
From the mass of brown spiky hair, she realizes that it's Sanosuke in front of her.  
  
"Umm... Sanosuke? Are you all right?" She leans down and asks.  
  
"Not really. Have you ever done any nursing before?"  
  
"Yeah. Both of my parents are doctors, so I kind of picked a few things up."  
  
"Than can you fix me?" He asks, holding out his bloody hand towards her.  
  
"Jesus! What did you do to your hand?" She asks.  
  
"Never mind. Can you help me?" He asks. She sighs, but nods. They both head towards the nurse's office near the gym. After picking the lock on the door with a hairpin, Megumi took a few bandages and some alcohol.  
  
"You messed it up pretty well. Can you move all my fingers?" Sanosuke nods.  
  
"Then hopefully nothing is broken." She expertly ripped open the packet and smoothed the sheet over his cuts. He grimaced, but doesn't say anything. "How did you do this to yourself? You really would have to beat the crap out of someone..." she paused while unwrapped the bandage. "You didn't... did you?"  
  
"No. I didn't hurt anyone." He sighs.  
  
"Good. But then what did you hit?" She asked, pulling his hand into her lap and bandaging it. Occupied with her work, she does not notice the strange look on his face.  
  
"A metal elevator door."  
  
"An elevator door? Why the hell did you hit a metal elevator door? Hard, too, by the look of it."  
  
"I was just kind of mad at myself."  
  
"Why?" She asked, leaning in closer towards him.  
  
"I wasn't aware that you were supposed to interview me while you fixed my hand." He snaps. She jerks back, a little surprised by his tone of voice. He sighed. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you like that."  
  
"Why were you so mad at yourself anyways?" She leaned in again, natural curiosity getting the better of her.  
  
"You really want to know, don't you?" He asked. "Fine. I think I'm falling in love with someone."  
  
"Really?" She asked, looking strangely foxy. "So mister tough guy has fallen for a girl? Why would you be so mad at yourself for falling in love?"  
  
"It's kind of hard to explain. First of all, it's a bad time. Second, I'm pretty sure that she doesn't feel the same way." Why the hell is he telling her this? It hurt him in his chest just to think about it. Kenshin and her... eugh.  
  
"Who is she? I could talk to you for her." She was almost done bandaging his hand.  
"I don't think that I should tell you."  
  
"Why not?" She put on her most innocent face. "I won't tell anyone!"  
  
"Look, you just don't want to know." She finished his hand. He got up quickly, wanting to get out of there as quickly as possible.  
  
"You can't just leave me now!" She stomped her foot on the ground. The sound of her heel on the tile echoed through the silent hallway. "Now I really want to know!"  
  
"You really want to know?" His voice starts low, but rises. "You want to know?" Silence falls heavily in the hallway.  
  
"It's kind of funny that we're talking about this now." He said just loudly enough so that she can hear. "Because it's you."  
  
She stared at him, who in turn stared at the ground.  
  
"What?" She asked, in shock.  
  
"Look, I have to go Megumi. I'll see you on Monday." With that he walked out of the gym.  
  
Kaoru, having just noticed that her friend wasn't in the dance, steps out into the hall to find her standing and staring into space towards the door.  
  
"Megumi? What's wrong? Why aren't you in the dance?" Kaoru asked. Megumi seemed to shake herself out of a trance.  
  
"What? Oh, nothing. Nothing's wrong."  
  
"Then let's get back in there!" Kaoru grabbed her arm, dragging her back into the crowded room. Megumi follows her hesitantly, very confused.  
  
With her free hand she felt the back of her neck. She could have sworn she felt someone touch it softly...  
  
AN: Yay! I feel really proud of this chapter, though there is no humor at all. I think it's some of my better writing. SCHOOL IS OVER!!! YAY!!! 


	8. Avoidence Tactics

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters I use in this fiction. I wish I owned Sanosuke. If someone decided they wanted to give him to me for my birthday (June 20) it would just be okay. Then again, I can always dye SF's hair brown, dress him in Sanosuke's clothes and keep him under my bed bound and gagged. Not liked I'd ever do that though. (Laughs nervously. Muffled sounds are heard from under her bed.) Of course not.  
  
AN: Well, again I drew parts of this from personal experience from being rejected. And the last chapter was based a LOT on experience. Best to write about things that you know, I suppose.  
  
Avoidance Tactics  
  
Sanosuke looked around the corner before he walked into the room. It was a habit he had grown into since the incident. So far he hadn't talked to Megumi that day: then again, she hadn't really tried to confront him either. He just really didn't want to see her right now.  
  
He was an idiot for admitting that to her when he had no idea what she would say back to it; that he knew. He cursed himself for it every second of the day. Things were already complicated between them: he just had to go admit his love to like a dumb ass. He didn't really know why he told her, anyways. It just kind of came out of his mouth: he couldn't help himself. Emotions like love that move with some much power are difficult to hold in your chest for to long. They like to get out into the open, to breath.  
  
Luckily he had a free period at that moment. Having already gotten lunch he plopped down in his usual alcove. Very few people had a free during this period: some freshmen, and a handful of sophomores and juniors. Most people got lunch around that time. He kind of liked the upper school better when it was quiet though: it gave the impression of peace in an overly hectic place.  
  
Kenshin entered the alcove quietly and sat down besides him.  
  
"Hey, whatever happened with Megumi on Friday?" Kenshin asked. Sanosuke's eyes shot wide open.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I sent her after you. You looked awfully pissed off, that you did." Kenshin said casually.  
  
"Well... I mean..." Sanosuke stuttered, not really wanting to discuss his feelings for the girl with anyone at the moment. Not even with Kenshin, his best friend.  
  
"Do you love her, Sano?" Kenshins said, his voice soft.  
  
"I guess." Sano sighed in response, bowing his head.  
  
"So what did happen Friday?"  
  
"Well, I told her that." This got Kenshin's attention. He never would have expected someone as proud as Sanosuke to actually admit that he had feelings for his co-star. Especially to her, of all people. "I know. A stupid move, huh?" Sanosuke's smiled a little.  
  
"Not really. What did she say back?"  
  
"Nothing. I walked away before she could respond."  
  
"Now that was a stupid move." Kenshin stated. "Why did you do that?" Sanosuke shrugged.  
  
"I didn't want things to get really awkward and the way that she looked they were going to. You just had to see the look on her face. She was surprised, that's for sure." He sighed. "That's pretty much all I could tell. She defiantly didn't look like she knew what to say back to me."  
  
"Sometimes people need time to figure out what to say." Kenshin told him. This had significance to him: he still had no idea how he would tell Kaoru what he felt for her.  
  
Sanosuke looks up at his bandaged hand. It was healing, but not very fast. The bruises were pretty bad. And his hand wasn't the only thing that ached at that moment.  
  
Megumi never daydreamed, and at the moment thought that she might actually be going insane. Five times during English class the teacher had reprimanded her for spacing out. Normally Megumi was a very good student: this lack of interest was unusual for her. English was her favorite class, too. It was just that at the moment she had bigger things on her mind.  
  
Like, what the hell she was going to do about Sanosuke. Whenever her mind wandered, she saw the way that he had looked right before he walked out of the door. It was an odd look, deeper in thought than she had ever seen him look before. He had shown her a side that she didn't think he had ever shown anyone before. How could the loud, obnoxious Sanosuke become this quiet, pensive guy?  
  
Honestly, she had no idea how to react, and it was tearing her up inside. She knew she was going to let him down easy. But the thing was, she really didn't want to let him down at all. But then, she couldn't say that she felt the same way, because she didn't. At least, she thought that she didn't.  
  
As doubt inched it's way into her mind, the muscles around her neck tightened.  
  
Play practice was weird. Of course, Mr. Malprin had to choose THAT day to make them practice the multiple kisses in the play.  
  
In other words, he was putting them through hell.  
  
"More emotions, damn it!" Mr. Malprin screamed, face turning bright red. "What is wrong with you two? You're kissing each other like you're kissing an inanimate object! You two are in love!" With this comment, both of them blush, especially Sanosuke. Mr. Malprin didn't notice, and continued. "Will someone demonstrate for us, please?"  
  
A girl in the back raises her hand with energy. Mr. Malprin turns with one eyebrow raised.  
  
"Okay... Monigue, please demonstrate on Sanosuke."  
  
Monigue grinned very widely, then ran up on the stage and kissed a confused Sanosuke on the lips. (AN: Heh. I just had to do that, folks. Sorry. I'll continue.)  
  
Quickly she broke the kiss and walked over to a very astonished and slightly jealous looking Megumi.  
  
"Follow my example. I know you love him, even if you don't. So stop being such a tight ass and forget your pride already." With this she vanished to back stage.  
  
Megumi stared after her, face bright red.  
  
"What the hell?" Sanosuke asked, voicing both of their thoughts.  
  
Megumi turned to look at him. As their eyes met, her throat felt like it was closing. Suddenly she couldn't breath as she looked into his eyes...  
  
AN: Okay, so this was short. But it was fast! The next chapter will be very amusing. The first night, and the play finally goes up! Let the mayhem begin.  
  
There are about two more chapters to this fic. I think I'll get both of them up before I leave for camp (the twenty sixth.) Please review, folks! (They give me more motivation to write. Not like I need it that badly, though. This story is really a lot of fun to write.) 


	9. The First Night

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters that I use in my story beside myself. Duh. Would I be writing fan fiction if I owned the characters? Oh, and I don't own the parts of the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare that I use in this play.  
  
AN: I'm really pushing to finish this story before I go to camp. Only three more chapters to go! I think I can do it. (But some support would be nice... review please!)  
  
This chapter is going to be returning to the humor that previously presided in this fic and has somehow vanished over the past two chapters. Enjoy!  
  
And I kind of withheld this chapter a few days because of the dismal amounts of reviews I had... however, because of this withholding, it's probably the best chapter that I've published so far. (I got to polish it until it shone.) So I hope you like it!  
  
The First Night  
  
Back stage was bustling with excitement. Shouts of 'Break a leg!' 'Good luck!' and 'WHERE THE HELL IS MY COSTUME!' filled the room with a near deafening sound. Several of the actors poured over their scripts in corners in a desperate attempt to memorize lines they still didn't know. If someone could somehow harness the amount of nervous energy that was buzzing around the room, they could probably power a small town.  
  
Sanosuke had turned his headphones on in an unsuccessful attempt to drown out the mayhem around him. Even cranked up to the highest volume, the music still did not hide the chaos swarming around him. His stomach felt like it was filled spiders. Breathing out, he let himself relax a little. It wasn't really performing that made him this nervous; he knew his lines well and knew that character better. It was the fact that he was going to have to perform with Megumi. With an awkward silence between the two of them, it was going to be hard to look at her like he loved her without doubt making him look away. The fact that he was actually in love with her would, counter-intuitively, hurt his acting instead of helping it.  
  
He was still in the dark about how Megumi felt about him: she had avoided talking to him for nearly a week. Though he didn't show it, it troubled him deeply. His view on the situation had lost any of the optimism it once had: he had lost nearly all hope at this point. It was hard to imagine that after this much time she still didn't know what to think. More likely she didn't feel the same way and wanted to avoid an awkward confrontation.  
  
He picked up his play and flipped to a long line that he didn't know very well. His fingers stuck to the paper. Was he really that nervous? More spiders in his stomach answered that question. He sighed. It was going to be a strange performance.  
  
"I do but keep the peace. Put up thy sword, or manage it to part these me with me." Yahiko poked his sword at a very irritated looking Saito. Saito, honestly, wasn't a very good actor. However, he was perfect for the role of Tybalt. Tybalt, in the play, was always angry. Saito was eerily like the character that he played in this sense: Sanosuke had never seen him crack a smile.  
  
"What, drawn and talk of peace?" Saito said, eyes narrowed. A senior to Yahiko's freshman, he was a good foot higher than the boy that he faced. It was quite a funny scene, actually. "I hate the word." Saito hissed. A few actors on stage took a little step back. "As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee. Have at thee, coward." He yelled. The fight was a supposed to be faked, but Saito was getting into it. Yahiko winced as the wooden sword hit his side hard.  
  
More actors streamed onto stage, saying their lines quickly and joining into the frenzy. Many of the actors followed Saito's lead and really got into the fight, throwing punches and hitting at the other characters. Several boys in the audience started placing bets on who would come out victorious in the fray. Aoshi, as the character the prince, burst out onto stage. He looked a little surprised about the actual violence that was happening. He grabbed Saitos shoulders and threw him off of Yahiko, who now had a bloody nose and a black eye. Saito flew through the air, sailing through the curtains that marked the sides of the stage and crashing loudly into the multiple chairs backstage. Aoshi didn't look very concerned with his fellow actor, merely continuing with his lines.  
  
Saito limped on stage from the sides and waited, scowling with anger. Low laughter rippled through the audience as he reappeared, and this only made him bitterer. As Aoshi finally finished his lines and turned with grace to strut off stage, he walked into Saito's outstretched leg and fell flat on his face. The audience went into uproarious laughter. Saito smirked.  
  
All the cast exited the stage except for Montague, Lady Montague and the injured looking Yahiko. Saito and Aoshi shot death glares at each other once they got back stage. Sanosuke didn't know whom he would put his money on to win the fight. Both of the two were very tough and a little bit insane. Whatever the outcome, it would be one ugly fight.  
  
It went smoothly from there until the third scene in act three. Romeo, having just heard the news that he was to be banished from Verona, broke down weeping. This itself got some laughter: the idea of the tough guy, Sanosuke Sagara, weeping over banishment was pretty humorous. It took all the will power that Sanosuke had not to break the act and glare at the people who were laughing at him.  
  
The nurse, Kaoru, entered the scene. This particular scene was a little strange, being one of the few times when Kenshin and Kaoru were together on stage. Sanosuke always thought there was some strange chemistry in the air. And then there was the fact that Kaoru was prone to laughter.  
  
Sanosuke grabbed the rubber dagger from his belt and threatened to kill himself. Kaoru grabbed out of his hands. Her grip, however, was bad: the knife flew out of her hands with the momentum and flew into the audience, hitting an innocent seventh grader in the head and knocking them out. Kaoru bit her lip in an attempt not to laugh or blurt out "Sorry!"  
  
"Hold thy desperate hand!" Kenshin reprimanded him, his voice low with faked fury. "Art thou a man?" This statement was ironic, coming from a guy so feminine looking. Kenshin had been mistaken more than once for a girl. From the front. "thy form cries out thou art, Thy tears are womanish," at the end of womanish, Kenshin's voice chose to crack, going high and girlish. The audience exploded with laughter, and Kenshin turned bright red. Kaoru too was laughing, her face pink. Sanosuke jabbed her in the stomach with his elbow to try and get her to stop as Kenshin finished the rest of his long line flawlessly.  
  
'It's your line!' He hissed. Kaoru looked up.  
  
"Oh, what?" She gasped, than turned red as she realized that all the eyes were on her. She rushed her next line out. Sanosuke put his head in his hands, embarrassed for the both of his friends.  
  
They managed to get the rest of the scene to work smoothly, without any more losses of control or accidental humor. The next scene contained a brief love scene between Romeo and Juliet and some implications that made some of the less mature members of the crowd go into fits of giggles. (Sanosuke had to act shirtless.) Even through the awkwardness Megumi and Sanosuke finished the scene without any major accidents. There was, however, a lot of pinkness in cheeks that shouldn't have been there, and a few of the more observant members of the audience noted this and wondered.  
  
Megumi hated acting out the next scene. It wasn't really that her lines were hard; she had some long sections, but there were much worse parts in the play. No, that wasn't the bad part. It was whom she had to act with.  
  
Namely, Kanryuu.  
  
Simply put, he was creepy. He got way to into his role, and Megumi got the feeling that he an obsession with her outside of the play. He shot her very odd looks in the hall, and a lot of the time she got the feeling that he was watching her from out of sight.  
  
Luckily, their characters only met once in the play. The meeting, however, was a little bit scary.  
  
"Poor soul, thy face is much abused with tears." Kanryuu said, much to close to Megumi for comfort.  
  
"The tears have got small victory by that, For it was bad enough before their spite." Megumi said, taking a small step back.  
  
"Thou wrong'st it more than tears with that report." He purred, edging closer to her.  
  
"That is no slander, sir, which is a truth and what I spake I spake it to my face." She was close to the edge of the stage now, and could not back up any more for the fear of falling backwards and making a complete idiot of herself. So many actors had done such a good job of that, and she really didn't feel the need to join them at the moment.  
  
She winced as his hand caressed his face. She badly wanted to slap his hand away from her. It would have been somewhat in character, but she resisted. Neither of the moves had been blocked out before the night.  
  
"Thy face is mine, and thou hast slandered it." He spoke. Megumi hated that line. She thought it was perhaps the strangest and creepiest line in the play. But the way that Kanryuu said it made it ten times worse.  
  
Now, if it was Sanosuke's line, it wouldn't be half bad-  
  
What the hell was she thinking? She rushed off her next line, a little confused as to where her mind had been going and blushing just enough so that Kenshin could see it. She stepped to the side, toward Kenshin and away from Kanryuu.  
  
Watching from behind the scenes, Sanosuke saw the fear in Megumi's eyes, and his fists clenched.  
  
Relief was the emotion on most of the actors face as they stepped onto the stage to take their bows. Yahiko's eyes were swelling, and Saito and Aoshi both limped. After Saito had kicked Sanosuke a little too hard in one of the scenes, Sanosuke had actually punched him a few times hard. It didn't do much to add to his general appearance. Both Aoshi and Saito looked bad from the fight that had happened back stage.  
  
Sanosuke and Megumi stepped out from different sides of the stage, joined hands in the center, and bowed. Sensing that she was a little bit shaky, he squeezed her hand in reassurance. She looked over at him in surprise and he smiled at her.  
  
"You did well." He said.  
  
"You too." She replied. They finally parted to their separate parts of the stage for the giant bow. Megumi, somehow, ended up next to Kanryuu. Great. Just great.  
  
He grabbed her hand hard, pulling her closer next to him. She shivered in disgust. She hated this. She hated him. She tried to pull away a little, but he was stronger than she was.  
  
They bowed once.  
  
"So what are you doing after the play?" Kanryuu asked. "Cause I think you should come with me and my friends."  
  
Megumi remained silent, feeling like she was going to retch. They took another bow. Sanosuke, from the other side of the stage, noticed her discomfort and the way that Kanryuu whispered in her ear. His eyes narrowed.  
  
He was going to have to take care of this creep for her.  
  
AN: How did you like it? The having to take a bow with someone is a personal experience. Eugh.  
  
Please review! 


	10. The Second Night

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in Rurouni Kenshin, though I think these people should check their copyrights. If anyone has ever seen the show Sorcerous Stabber Orphen, I think Orphen and Sanosuke are long lost brothers. Huh.  
  
An: Okay, considering that I'm going to camp tomorrow this will defiantly not be finished before camp. Whatever. I'll make the last chapter really good. How cruel am I? Leaving you with four weeks to find out what happens in the last chapter. (Flees from angry reviewers.)  
  
The second to last chapter. The penultimate chapter, if you want to use good vocab. (Sniff.) Ah, it's been a good run.  
  
It's kind of funny, because for the first scene I had this whole diologue and I was looking at it and trying to figure out why I didn't like it. Then I figured it out: it was out of character! Sano is the kind of guy who punches first and asks questions later. He sounds much more like a gangster in this version.  
  
The Second Night  
  
LATER THAT NIGHT   
  
It was in the bathroom that Sanosuke finally found Kanryuu alone, without the entourage of guys that usually surrounded him. Sanosuke's hand had been aching all night. The look on Megumi's face still bothered him.  
  
He wasn't really worried about the consequences of what he was about to do. Kanryu wouldn't tell anyone. If the things that Aoshi sometimes told Sanosuke about where true, Kanryu was involved in more than a little illegal activity. The trouble that Sanosuke could get into for doing this was nothing compared to the trouble that Kanryu could get into: drug dealing got punished just a little more harshly than beating up someone.  
  
Kanryu looked up as Sanosuke entered the bathroom.  
  
"What do you want?" He asked the approaching Sanosuke. Sanosuke grinned.  
  
"Just to give you something for a friend." With that he punched him in the face: almost as hard as he had punched the face of the metal elevator, and with the same anger behind the blow. Kanryu fell to the ground.  
  
"Look, I'm going easy on you pal. Next time I might not be so charitable. I suggest you stay away from Megumi from now on if you value your personal safety at all. Got it?" Kanryu said nothing. Sanosuke nudged him in the stomach. The guy at his feet winced.  
  
"I asked you a question." Sanosuke growled. Kanryu nodded weakly.  
  
"Good. I expect you'll be better behaved from now on, huh? Oh, and you might want to see the nurse about that. You took a pretty bad fall on the wet ground." Sanouske shook out his throbbing hand. With this statement Sanosuke left the room, feeling remarkably better than before.  
  
BACKSTAGE, BEFORE THE SECOND PERFORMANCE  
  
The air of the back room, though remarkable more relaxed than it had been the night before, was an odd mix of nervousness and nostalgia. There were only two performances of the play: the thought that the thing they had put some much work into something that was almost over was strange.  
  
The buzz in the room grew quiet as Mr. Malprin entered. He plopped a stack of papers down on the table in the middle of the room.  
  
"Everyone take a copy of the notes I made and try to read them before the play. Sanosuke, Megumi, talk to me outside." Solemnly Sanosuke and Megumi filed out of the room.  
  
"Sit down." Mir. Malprin says. The two sat on opposite sides of the hallway.  
  
"Look, your performances yesterday were very good, but not great." He said, looking down at his notes. "But the passion in the love scenes was kind of lacking. Especially during the kisses. There was nothing there. Both of you seemed like you were holding back a lot, most of all you, Sanosuke. I don't know what's going on between you two, and I don't want to know. Just remember not to restrict yourself while acting. No one is judging you." Both of the teens were silent, eyes cast towards the floor.  
  
"I'm going to go backstage, I need to deal with some tech things. Just think about that." He patted them both on the backs.  
  
More passion thought Sanosuke, amused. Little does the guy know what he's asking for...  
  
"Saints do not move, though prayers' sake." Megumi said, looking up at Sanosuke. The first kiss- this scene always made her nervous.  
  
"Then move not while my prayer's affect I take." Did his voice really have to be that attractive, Megumi wondered. "Thus from my lips, by thine, my sin is purged." He leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips. The kiss wasn't really longer or more passionate than the kisses last night, but something in it made her shiver. Sanosuke wasn't going to hold back.  
  
"Then have my lips the sin that they have took." She gazes up into chocolate brown eyes. He did, certainly, have nice eyes. She stopped. There it was again! Those strange thoughts just kept popping into her head.  
  
"Sin from my lips? O trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again." He reached behind her neck and drew her closer to him, so that their bodies were barely inches away. This kiss was noticeably deeper than the first. Very softly he broke the kiss, leaving Megumi breathless.  
  
"You by th'book." Megumi gasped, not meaning it at all. He was a damn good kisser. Kaoru rushed onto stage. She had watched the exchange from offstage was repressing a girlish giggle. Megumi turned to face her.  
  
"Madam, your mother craves a word with you." Kaoru said. Megumi walked a little upstage to Kaoru, then turned to look at Sanosuke.  
  
With his back turned to the audience, he winked at her, a devilish smile on his face. A mixed feeling of annoyance and affection rose in her chest. How the hell could he kiss her like that and then just wink at her, like nothing had happened?  
  
"Who is her mother?" Sanosuke said, his voice grave despite the fact that he was still grinning. She hated him, her pride reminded her. Megumi knew her pride was deceiving her.  
  
Megumi bowed her head a little bit as the nurse and Romeo exchanged words, hoping nobody could see the bright pink color that now stained her cheeks.  
  
Megumi walked onto stage, dressed in a white gown. The scene directly before the marriage. Kenshin spoke a line, introducing her. Sanosuke watched her approach him, a slight smile haunting his face.  
  
"Good even to my ghostly confessor." Megumi said to both of them.  
  
"Romeo shall thank thee, daughter, for us both." Kenshin said and stepped back, smiling.  
  
Sanosuke kissed her on the lips for the third time in the play, hands holding her around the waist. She pulled away from the kiss quickly, a little bit breathless.  
  
"As much to him, else is his thanks too much." She kissed him sweetly on the lips, a teasing kiss. He turned pink. Now it was her turn to wink at him.  
  
Romeo and Juliet both exchanged verses, than looked to Frair Lawrence.  
  
"Come, come with me, and we will make short work, for by your leaves, you shall not stay alone till holy church incorporate two into one." They all left the stage. It had always struck Megumi as a kind of funny to act that scene out with Sanosuke. It seemed kind of ridiculous, the idea of them getting married to each other. Though he would probably look really good in a tux. Actually, the idea of marrying him wasn't really that bad at all-  
  
At this point, her pride shook her hard. What the hell was that? It wasn't like she did actually return his feelings. He was just a punk. Even if he was an exceptionally good looking punk, she-  
  
Oh crap.  
  
She did have feelings for him, didn't she?  
  
But that much she knew. There had always been an attraction between the two of them. The feelings probably weren't any more than just a physical attraction, just a crush. That was it. And he probably just felt that way to. He couldn't actually be in love with her. It was ridiculous!  
  
Yet some part of her, however small and quiet, knew that she was lying.  
  
Mr. Malprin had made something very clear in his notes: that if something happened like last night, that they should just improvise and try to go with the flow. No one had really needed to use this, up until the scene that Sanosuke got the crap beaten out of him by Saito. Misao already lay on the ground, a sword stuck under her arm. She was feigning death and quite badly: in fact, one of here eyes was wide open and trained on the two other actors on stage.  
  
"That late thou gavest me, for Mercutio's soul is but a little way above out heads, staying for thine to keep him company; either thou or I, or both, must go with him." Sanosuke growled. Saito scowled back at him.  
  
Silence.  
  
Sanosuke looked at Saito, a little desperately. Saito was still scowling, but his eyes were full of panic.  
  
'Improvise.' Sanosuke mouthed.  
  
"It's sure as hell gonna be you, you bastard!" Saito shouted. Sanosuke immediately wished that Saito had just rushed him. The idiot. The current audience, having heard of last night's disaster, finally had their expectations fulfilled and started to laugh. Sanosuke struck the final blow to Saito and he fell backwards. Sanosuke made sure to give him an annoyed kick as he strutted out.  
The next scene, in which Sanosuke had to weep like a girl in front of Sanouske, exacted much the same reaction that it had the night before: some of the more raunchy members of the crowd started howling and mock weeping. Sanosuke bit down on his bottom lip hard to avoid reacting.  
  
Megumi had regained her composure during the next scene, and got through it well enough. About five more scenes passed without any major incidents. The audience was somewhat disappointed: the less mature members had fallen asleep. Finally it drew to the time that Megumi had to meet with Kanryuu.  
  
She got quite a shock when he came onto stage: his left eye was black and blue and badly swollen. What the hell? It hadn't been that way the night before, and Kanryuu wasn't really one to get into brawls with his peers. Usually he hired a thug to do it for him.  
  
"Happily met, my lady and my wife!" He said, voice devoid of his normal scary enthusiasm.  
  
"That may be, sir, when I may be a wife." She says, a little confused. What had happened to him that had made him this way?  
  
"That 'may be' must be, love, on Thursday next."  
  
"What must be shall be."  
  
"That's a certain text." Kenshin said.  
  
Okay, now she defiantly knew that something was wrong with him. At this point usually he would be trying to corner her on the stage and smiling very creepily. Instead, he just slumped and rushed his lines, looking like he was hurting.  
  
"Come you to make confession to this father?"  
  
"To answer that, I should confess to you."  
  
"Do not deny to him that you love me." This usually very scary line was said with no emotion at all, flat and cold.  
  
"I will confess to you that I love him."  
  
"So will ye, I am sure, that you love me."  
  
"If I do so, it will be of more price, being spoken behind your back, than to your face." Megumi was a naturally curious person, and she was just itching to know what happened to Kanryuu. And if by any chance the bruise on his face had anything to do with the way that he was acting.  
  
"Poor soul, thy face is much abused with tears." At this point, her curiosity got the better of her.  
  
"Thou art one to speak. What misfortune has happened to your own face?" She asked, hoping that would pass well enough for Shakespeare.  
  
"Not but a Montigue rogue. He threatened me with violence, but I fought him off. It is of no matter. Your face is mine, and thou has slandered it."  
  
The two actors got back to the scene as it was written, getting to the end without any big mistakes. Megumi, though, couldn't help but wonder what his words had meant. A Montigue rogue. It could have just been made up to go along with it, but no: he sounded way to bitter when he said it. He had to mean something by it.  
  
A Montigue rogue. Huh. Who played a Montigue in the play?  
  
Kenshin moved on to a long monologue. Megumi glanced around the stage quickly. Chocolate brown eyes that had previously watched her from backstage vanished suddenly as she meet their gaze.  
  
It couldn't possibly be...  
  
Sanosuke?  
  
It made perfect sense. He probably saw how Kanryuu had been acting towards Megumi. He would probably have told him to back off, and that would explain why Kanryuu hadn't been his normal stalker self. It was something that Sanosuke would do, too.  
  
Stupid Sanosuke. Sanosuke the thug. Sanosuke the sensitive punk. Stupid, sweet Sanosuke.  
  
Both Kenshin and her exited the stage, the scene being completed. Sanosuke sat slouched in the corner, watching her silently. He smiled a little bit at her as she looked towards him.  
  
Despite herself, she smiled back. He looked back down at the open play that was sitting in his lap. He had fought for her. It was a strangely noble thing to do. No guy had ever really done that for her before, had cared enough to defend her like that. In spite of her pride, a strange feeling that she didn't want to think was affection welled up in her chest.  
  
She had to go back on stage soon, but she couldn't help but be pensive. A fierce battle was going on between her normally stronger pride and her emotions. And currently, the emotions were fighting their way to the top.  
  
Megumi went on and off stage several times that act, but Sanosuke remained at the same spot, trying to hide the fact that he was watching her. The way that he looked down quickly at his script was devastatingly adorable.  
  
He finally left as the next act started. Megumi slumped down, trying to sort out that chaos in her head. What the heck did she exactly feel for Sanosuke? The loosing side of her screamed that she felt nothing. The winning side, well...  
  
It was telling her that she loved him, and that scared her more than she could see.  
  
She sat listening to the exchange outside of the curtain. At the moment what Mr. Malprin said came to mind. It wasn't them kissing each other, it was their characters. But it hadn't been Romeo that kissed her back there. Sanosuke had made that painfully obvious. Juliet really only initiated one kiss in the play: when she tried to get the poison from Romeo's lips and then killed herself.  
  
She could kiss him then and then try to figure out if the winning side was in fact right. If she didn't have any feelings for him, she could always just say that it was good acting. She could do a better job than Sanosuke at making it seem like that was the case, at least.  
  
Megumi's mind was resolved. This kiss, this final kiss, would let her know. She had an ominous suspicion that she knew already, though...  
  
AN: Hey, at least I got this chapter up. Now for the four weeks wait. PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! And if you must hurt me, please do it via reviews. And tell me what you thought, too. Thank ya! 


	11. The Kiss and the Afterparty

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters I use in this fanfiction. I do not own Shakespeare. However, if anyone wanted to give me a late birthday present, Sanosuke would do nicely,  
  
AN: Back from camp. Cause of all the nice (and threatening) reviews that you guys sent me, and cause I made you wait for so freaking long, I'll try to get this up quick. Much love, all! Will this be the last chapter? We'll see.  
  
The Kiss and The Afterparty  
  
"Eyes, look your last! Arms, take your last embrace!" Sanosuke pulled Megumi into his lap. "and, lips, O you the doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss a dateless bargin to engrossing Death!" With this he leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips.  
  
"Are unconscious people supposed to blush like that?" Misao giggled to Kaoru backstage. Kaoru just smiled.  
  
"Come, bitter conduct, come unsavoury guide!" Sanosuke said, his voice husky with fake tears. "Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on the dashing rocks thy seasick weary bark!" He rustled into his pocket to pull out a small red vial filled with "poison" "He's to my love." He stage whispered. Megumi in his warm lap felt like he was talking only to her. It didn't help the blushing.  
  
"O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick. Thus, with a kiss I die." He kissed Megumi desperately on the lips. Part of the desperation was acting. But the other part... the rational part of Megumi didn't like to think that he actually might genuinely be in love with her. However, it was getting harder and harder to deny.  
  
He rolled to the side, leaving her sprawled on the ground. Kenshin and another actor entered the stage. They shared a relatively brief conversation. On the ground, Megumi waited for her cue.  
  
"Ah, what an unkind hour is guilty of this lamentable chance!" Megumi at this started to push herself off the ground. "The lady stirs." Kenshin finished. Megumi ran through her lines with him with ease. She had to resist smiling as Kenshin offered to put her in a sisterhood of nuns. Finally he exited the stage.  
  
Leaving her and Sanosuke alone. The thought made her heartbeat quicken. Even though they were in front of at least a hundred people, she felt like they were the only ones there.  
  
"Go get thee hence, for I will not away, What's here? A cup closed in my true love's hand? Poison I see hat been his timeless end. O churl, drunk all, and left no friendliy drop to help me after?" She wailed, throwing the bottle into the audience carelessly. It hit and knocked out another helpless seventh grader.  
  
"I-I will kiss thy lips," the stutter wasn't in the script. She hoped no one in the audience was a Shakespeare scholar, or she would be in for a few questions as to why she was so nervous. "Haply some poison yet doth hang on them, to make me die with a restorative." She lowered her face to his slowly. She kissed him softly at first, then gradually more intensely. She couldn't really help it. That kiss... there really weren't words to describe it. It made all the other kisses she had ever had seem like kissing a manikin. She finally broke the kiss, her lips burning. With a startling rush, she realized what she had hoped she would never have to face.  
  
She loved him. She really did love him. Goddammit. She closed her eyes and breathed out. Only one more line. Then she could think.  
  
"Thy lips are warm." She stage whispered, touching his mouth with her finger. She knew corpses weren't supposed to be that color red. He was really cute when he was blushing, though.  
  
"Lead boy, which way!" Aoshi yelled from offstage. She jerked her head upwards.  
  
"Yea, noise! Then I'll be brief. O happy dagger, this is thy sheath!" She jammed the rubber dagger into her chest. "There rust, and let me die." She didn't pay attention to where she fell, and landed right on top of Sanosuke.  
  
It was in character, but still...  
  
A whole group of characters entered the stage and said their lines. Megumi wasn't really paying attention to them. She was just concentrating on the rise and fall of Sanosuke's chest underneath her, and how damn warm he was...  
  
"All are punished." Aoshi ended, in his coldest and most condescending tone. The curtains closed. For a split second Megumi hesitated before getting up. Very quickly she turned away from Sanosuke. Her heart was torn with the realization she had just reached and knowing what she had done to him. The look on his face as he walked away... she had hurt him.  
  
And that was killing her.  
  
"Good job." Kaoru said, punching Megumi's shoulder. She winced and came out of her trance.  
  
"Oh. Uh-thanks. You too."  
  
"Especially that kiss. If I didn't know any better I would have said that you actually did feel something for the guy." Kaoru winked at her and then went over to talk with her other friends, leaving Megumi a devastatingly bright shade of pink.  
  
At that precise moment she caught Sanosuke's eye. He looked.... Well... surprised. She would have expected him to be grinning his signature grin at this point, but there wasn't a trace of a smile on his face. Instead he was watching her. Trying to figure out what the hell had been in that last kiss. Both of them knew that it wasn't just good acting.  
  
Sanosuke's hand had been throbbing all day, a low dull ache. He had gotten kind of used to it. He just thought it was nothing: he had punched Kanryuu a little too hard: that was all. What could he say? The bastard deserved it. But as he helped tech carry the props off stage it got gradually worse and worse until he had to grit his teeth to bear it. A few of the cuts on his hand from hitting the elevator had reopened, and the bruises looked worse. Overall, it was just really a mess.  
  
There was a general sense of euphoria at the after party. No one could really believe that the play they had worked on for months was really over. Kanryuu and his friends were sulking in the corner, watching Sanosuke observantly. Misao and Kaoru were whispering to each other and giggling, every once and a while glancing over in Megumi's direction. No one in the cast had really failed to miss the significance of that last kiss, and they were all waiting to see what would become of it.  
  
Monigue had started a betting pool on how long it would take for them to become a couple. Bets were placed everywhere from three hours to one week.  
  
Megumi and Sanosuke both remained very, very confused.  
  
Megumi was trying to figure out if she had hurt Sanosuke so badly that he wouldn't take her and wondering how to tell him what she had discovered during the last scene of the play.  
  
Sanosuke was wondering why everyone seemed to be staring at him. Besides that, he was wondering what had changed in Megumi. The way that she looked at him seemed to be somehow... different. Like she had realized something that had been on the back of her mind for a very long time.  
  
He watched her as she exited the room. Probably to go outside and think. She seemed troubled. And he knew exactly how that felt.  
  
With alarm he noticed that Kanryuu and his group of thugs had also slipped out of the room. And he guessed that they weren't going outside to think.  
  
Sanosuke pulled himself up from where he was sitting. Looked like he was going to have another 'talk' with Kanryuu. With his group of thugs with him, it would be harder. But then again, Aoshi was one of the people that Kanryuu had hired to protect him. Aoshi despised the guy, and would probably make it a little easier for him.  
  
It would be unpleasant. But then again, Sanosuke wouldn't- couldn't- let Megumi get hurt by those scum bags.  
  
He loved her too much.  
  
AN: Buhahaha there will be one more chapter! Get ready for a little bit of action... Much love to all reviewers. You people rock! 


	12. Together at last

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters in this fan fiction. Except myself, of course. But then again we really all could be in the matrix and then the machines own my battery/ body. But I digress. On with the chapter!

AN: Okay. It's the last chapter. Phew. You know, even I don't really know what's going to happen. So it could be anything. It actually is probably going to be kind of harsh in the beginning (but nothing to bad!) so be prepared.

One question to answer: Animeluver4, I was talking about Sano. Megumi/Aoshi... not my cup of tea, as my grandmother would put it. Anywho... here goes!

Megumi was being followed. She realized it early on, hearing the shuffle of footsteps behind her. Not being able to think of anything else to do, she merely increased her space and hoped that her stalkers would leave her alone. This tactic proved unsuccessful. Several members of the group behind her slipped by her sides and surrounded her.

Crap. She was screwed.

One figure stepped forward toward her. In the pale moonlight she could make out Kanryuu's repulsive face. She stepped away from him cautiously.

"Did you really think that I would let you leave without me, baby?" He growled, stepped more towards her. She took another step backwards, and bumped right into one of Kanryuu's thugs. Oh god.

"Get away from me." Megumi pleaded, knowing that he would not do as she requested. He laughed cruelly, his voice grating. She was really in for it.

"You're mine, bitch. You're coming with me tonight." His face was twisted into a smile that scared her.

"I don't want to go with you. Leave me alone." Megumi replied, trying to keep terror from cracking through her voice. He grabbed her left wrist, hard.

"No one cares what you think, Megumi. Like it or not, you're with me tonight."

Shivers of disgust ran through her body at just the thought of him. He was a louse, a maggot. Would he seriously take advantage of her weakness like this? Her body trembled with anger and fear. What... what would he do to her.

"Why the look? You should be happy to come with me. I can pay you well, if you know what I mean."

Megumi lost it.

She kicked him hard, where it counted. He doubled over in pain and she dove to the side, hoping to make a run for it. Strong hands caught her arms and her waist and restrained her. Shit.

"You... whore..." Kanryuu gasped. He stumbled towards her, face made monstrous with rage. His thin hand shot to her throat. He applied more and more pressure and she was struggling to breath.

"You think you can get away with that? You're not strong enough. And out here, no one's going to save you." He snarled. Her lungs burnt painfully. Someone... oh god, what would he do to her?

"Someone... will... come..." she gasped.

"Who are you expecting? That idiot Sanosuke? He defended you earlier. But where is he now, huh?" Her whole body was in agony. Her head was much too light. If he didn't let up soon, she would pass out. As it was her lids already felt heavy.

"Where is your adoring idiot now?" He sneered. She hated him so much. He world was going dark...

Suddenly the hand on her throat loosened. With all that was holding her up gone, she collapsed to the ground. Cool air rushed into her lungs, saving her from the brink of unconsciousness. She rolled over and looked at why her attacker had desisted.

Someone was holding Kanryuu up by the front of his shirt. The person was tall and lanky, with a familiar slouch. She couldn't make out who it was, really. Her eyes were still dark with lack of air.

"Her adoring idiot is right here." She knew that voice all to well and her heart swelled with affection. Sanosuke. He had come. Now that she looked up she could clearly recognize his spiky hair and brown eyes... eyes that were currently burning with anger that was reflected in his dangerously low voice.

"I would call you scum, but it would be giving scum a bad name." He was trembling with fury. "There are no words to describe what I think about you. So I'll try to let you understand it through my actions." With that he punched him hard in the face, a punch that would have made the elevator very proud.

No one made any move to help Kanryuu, who was developing a bad nosebleed and moaning loudly. Aoshi stepped forward, regarding the still fuming Sanosuke through long bangs.

"You love her." Aoshi said, more of a statement than an inquiry.

"I do." Sanosuke said, voice still tense. Aoshi nodded once, motioned to his men. They quickly vacated the scene. One of the bigger guys threw a protesting Kanryuu over his shoulder. Leaving Sanosuke and Megumi alone. Neither of them could think of the right words to say to the other. Silence fell in the night.

(Back at the cast party... Monigue had somehow secured a live feed of the scene that was happening in the parking lot, and had decided that this was the right time to start showing it. The whole cast had parked themselves in front of the television, captivated by the scene. What could they say? All of them were curious as to what would happen between their two leads. And plus some of them had a hell of a lot of money riding on what was playing out in front of them.

A few of them, including Monigue, were shouting out suggestions.

"Why doesn't one of them make a move already, dammit!" Kaoru shouted.

"Yeah! I've got twenty bucks on them within the next hour." Monigue shouted.

Everyone turned to look strangely at her.

"What? Misao and Yahiko have bets within the hour too."

"Isn't this a gross invasion of privacy?" Kenshin asked sheepishly.

"Ain't it great though?" Monigue sighed, grinning.

"Shut up!" Misao shrieked. "They're doing something."

The whole room fell silent and turned their attention to the screen.)

"Jesus, Megumi, are you alright?" Sanosuke gasped, dropping to his knees. Megumi slowly sat up and looked at him. "Did he hurt you? God, I'll kill him. I swear I'll rip him to shreds..." Sanosuke snarled. Megumi just smiled a little bit at him, her heart overflowing. She throws her arms around his neck and drew him into an embrace.

"Stop... Sanosuke." She whispered. "You've done enough. Thank you." He wrapped his arms around her hesitantly. His touch was as gentle with her as it had been rough with Kanryuu. She was almost surprised that such rough hands were capable of such tenderness.

("Make a move Sanosuke! Make a mooooooove!" Yahiko wailed.)

"I was scared for you, Megumi." With his left hand he carefully brushed the hair of her face. "Are you okay?"

"Yes. I'm all right now. I owe you, though." She smiled, her voice soft. If it had been anyone else with her, she would have been shaking and terrified. Somehow Sanosuke just made her feel... safe. She loved that about him.

("Why hasn't he asked for a kiss already?" Kaoru asked. She was shushed by most of the people in the room.)

"Can I collect one of the favors now?" He asked. "Um... punching Kanryuu... didn't do good things for my hand."

"Oh geez. You mean you punched him with your bad hand? You idiot!" She scolded, pulling away from him and grabbing her right hand. His hand was truly not a pretty sight. She started working at pulling off the bloody bandages. "Ug. You really managed to screw your hand up, didn't you? I don't have a first aid kit either, so we'll really have to go to the nurse."

("No! Dammit! My chances of winning are shot if they go to the nurse! Stop them!" Yahiko yelled.

"Don't worry." Monigue grinned. "I've got this covered.)

Just as Megumi started to get up something fell with a metallic clang next to her.

"What the hell?" She muttered, looking at the object that had just fallen from the sky. With surprise she realized it was a first aid kit. "How did this get here!?"

Sanosuke was peering up at the tree branches above them. A small furry form was visible by the light of the moon. A low cawing sound rang out through the lot.

("You had... the squirrel... drop them a first aid kit." Yahiko stated, in shock. "You're a freaking genius!")

"I'm not going to ask..." Megumi shook her head and opened the kit. Gently she started to bandage his hand.

"Megumi? Can I ask you a question?" Sanosuke asked.

"You just did. So now I get to ask you a question before you can ask another one." Sanosuke scowled but was silent. "Was it you who gave Kanryuu the black eye earlier?"

"Sure was. Enjoyed it, too." Sanosuke grinned. "Okay, so it's my turn. Why did you kiss me like that?"

"I was trying to figure something out." She stated, grinning evilly.

"... and?" Sanosuke waited.

"Hey, I answered your question. Now it's my turn again." Sanosuke rolled his eyes but didn't object. "Why did you follow me out here?"

"I was watching you at the party and I saw that jerk leave after you. I... didn't want you to get hurt by that idiot."

Megumi smiled a little, still touched by how much he had worried about her.

"What were you trying to figure out?" Sanosuke asked, knowing that she would only use his question to stall more.

"Whether I was in love with you or not." She responded, cheeks a little bit pink. "Do you love me?"

"Yes." He responded, looking into her eyes with such intensity that a shiver ran down her spine. "So it's my question again. I'll ask you something that I've wanted to know for a long, long time." She had finished with his hands by now. He reached into her lap and grasped both her hands. He leaned in until his face was barely an inch away from hers.

"What..." he whispered. Megumi was tense with apprehension. "are your measurements?" Megumi's eye twitched once, then twice. If Sanosuke grinned any wider the bottom half of his face would fall off.

("He did not just do that." Kaoru chortled, laughing despite her horror.)

"You.... Are... such... an idiot..." She growled, whapping him over the head, hard.

"Hey! Hey! I was just joking with you. I knew you wouldn't answer that question." Sanosuke was laughing now. "You should've seen the look on your face..."

"Just get on with it. Since I didn't answer that question you get another one."

"Alright. Alright." He said, getting his laughter under control. "You know that I'm just joking with you."

"You're still an idiot."

"Yep, but an idiot that you're possibly in love with." Megumi was silent. "Do you love me?"

"Despite my better judgment and the protest of my pride..." She sighed, then allowed a small smile. "I do."

("Almost there! All he has to do now is to kiss her!" Yahiko shouted excitedly. Someone hit him and he shut up.)

"Fox..." He smiled. "You don't know how long I've wanted to hear that. Not as Juliet to Romeo, but just you talking to me." He leaned in a little bit. "How long I've wanted to kiss you as myself and not as my character. Without fear of dying a painful death, of course." He grinned, remembering how terrified he had been of her after kissing her in front of Sayo.

"Then kiss me already, you idiot." She grinned.

"I thought you'd never ask." He whispered, then kissed her on the mouth. The kiss started out tender, but quickly grew more intense. Just the taste of him made Megumi crave more. His touch on her neck made her skin burn. He was so damn amazing....

Very softly he broke the kiss. A faint sound was heard in the background.

"Was that... cheering?" Sanosuke asked.

Megumi listened. It did sound like not that far away, a crowd was making quite a rucus. "I don't want to know." Megumi laughed. He just kissed her again.

FINI!!!

AN: It's... over... (GASP!) I may write an epilogue. Depends on what kind of response I get. Please review! Thank you to anyone who read and reviewed and encouraged. You guys rock my world! (Hugs to all.)


End file.
